WSL2 GW14: Southampton Climb, Birmingham Close Gap, Durham Snatch Vital Win

Bristol City produced a commanding display at home to brush aside Sunderland 3–0 and keep their promotion hopes firmly on track.

It took just two minutes for City to strike. Arsenal loanee Jessie Gale met Rio Hardy’s cross with a close-range header at the near post – though replays suggest the final touch may have come off a Sunderland defender. Gale doubled the lead just before the break, latching onto a pinpoint through ball from Sophie Ingle and finishing calmly past the keeper.

Sunderland had spells of possession and a few half-chances but lacked the cutting edge needed to trouble a well-organised City defence.

The win was sealed in the 83rd minute by substitute Lexi Lloyd-Smith, who had only been on the pitch for seven minutes. The forward drove in a low shot from the edge of the box that took a slight deflection. Her sixth goal of the WSL2 season

The result keeps Bristol in third, two points behind Birmingham (having played a game more), and four clear of Crystal Palace. Sunderland remain eighth after another frustrating afternoon.

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Durham snatched a dramatic 2–1 win over relegation rivals Portsmouth thanks to a 94th-minute penalty from Lucy Watson – securing their first league victory since early October.

n a scrappy but high-stakes encounter, Portsmouth struck first. Just four minutes into the second half, Tia Primmer latched onto a fizzed pass from Megan Horby. Her first effort was tipped onto the post by Sheppard, but she made no mistake with the rebound.

Durham hit back just eight minutes later. Beth Hepple pounced on a defensive lapse to score her seventh league goal of the season, as Portsmouth’s back line crumbled under pressure.

Both teams pushed for a winner, and just as the draw looked certain, Collinson was bundled over in the box. Watson calmly slotted home from the spot, sparking wild celebrations in the home stands.

Durham climb to 13 points – now three clear of Portsmouth and six above bottom-side Ipswich. For Pompey, it’s a fourth straight defeat, and their wait for a league win extends beyond November.

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League leaders Charlton were held to a frustrating 1–1 draw by a resilient Sheffield United.

Amy Andrews gave the Blades a deserved lead in the 26th minute, heading in a deep cross from Lafayette. For much of the first half, it was United who looked the more composed side, while Charlton struggled to gain control.

But just as the break approached, the visitors found a lifeline. In the 43rd minute, Lucy Fitzgerald looped a shot into the top corner from close range after static defending allowed her time and space in the box.

The second half was tightly contested, with both teams chasing a winner. Both goalkeepers pulled off big saves in the closing stages to ensure the points were shared.

Charlton remain top, but their lead is cut to just three points. Sheffield United end a four-match losing streak, though their winless run stretches to six.

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Birmingham City delivered a ruthless second-half performance to dismantle Nottingham Forest 5–1, cutting Charlton’s lead at the top to just three points.

The hosts went ahead in the 22nd minute when Veatriki Sarri’s low cross was inadvertently turned in at the near post by Georgia Brougham. Forest responded well and were level on the stroke of half-time. Joy Omewa Ogochukwu, making her debut, capitalised on hesitant Birmingham defending before slotting home between the keeper’s legs.

But the second half belonged entirely to the home side. Just two minutes after the restart, Sarri again turned provider, delivering a pinpoint cross for Wilma Leidhammar to head home and restore Birmingham’s lead.

Then came the Lindström show. The Finnish forward – on her home debut – netted three times in six minutes. Her first was a precise finish from the edge of the area. Her second came via a one-on-one after being played through by Crosswaithe. And her third, a calm finish after Shanade Hopcroft split the defence with another decisive pass.

It’s Birmingham’s third win on the bounce, and their league-best goal difference underscores their growing momentum. Forest slip to seventh after another defensive collapse, having now lost three of their last four matches.

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Ellie Brazil struck a superb hat-trick as Southampton stunned Crystal Palace 3–1, ending the visitors’ five-match winning run and reigniting Saints’ charge up the table.

Brazil opened the scoring in the 17th minute, tapping in from close range after a dangerous low cross from Michaela McAlonie. The pair combined again just six minutes later—McAlonie again driving a low ball in from the left, and Brazil applying another clinical finish at the near post.

Palace clawed one back on the stroke of half-time. Ashleigh Weerden’s miscued cross looped over Frances Stenson and into the far corner, offering the visitors a lifeline they scarcely deserved.

The second half was open, with both sides creating chances – Palace struck the woodwork twice – but it was Brazil who had the final say. Collecting a cross from McGown on the left, she calmly slotted past the keeper to complete her hat-trick and secure all three points.

The result lifts Southampton two places into fifth, now just a point behind Palace. For the Eagles, it’s a setback in their push for the top three as momentum grinds to a halt.

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Bottom-side Ipswich Town picked up a rare point with a battling 1–1 draw away at Newcastle United, as Sophie Peskett’s moment of brilliance cancelled out Beth Lumsden’s milestone goal.

Newcastle made a bright start and were ahead inside eight minutes. On her 50th appearance for the Magpies, Lumsden pulled off a spectacular strike from distance. From that point on, Newcastle dominated but failed to find a second goal.

However, totally against the run of play, Ipswich found an equaliser with their only shot on target in the first half. In the 42nd minute, Peskett turned Torpey inside out on the edge of the box and fired a precise finish beyond the keeper in a superb solo effort.

Newcastle pushed for a winner after the break but couldn’t convert their pressure into goals. Ipswich defended deep and stayed compact, frustrating the hosts and hanging on for a valuable point.

The result leaves Ipswich three points behind Portsmouth in 11th, and six from safety. Newcastle stay sixth, but their faint promotion hopes take another hit with a second straight game without a win.

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